Bringing together works by contemporary international artists in the capital of Finland to draw public attention to the urgent global environmental crisis, the third edition of Helsinki Biennial is held under the theme Shelter: Below and Beyond, Becoming and Belonging. Participating artists explore humanity’s relationship with nature. Departing from anthropocentric narratives, they foreground animals, plants, fungi, insects, and minerals, using art as a source of inter-species compassion and an instrument of care.
First launched in 2021, Helsinki Biennial is an ambitious international contemporary art event organised by HAM Helsinki Art Museum. Developed as part of the city’s urban strategy, its primary mission is to fill the public space of the Finnish capital with contemporary art. Many of the artworks exhibited at the Biennial are later installed permanently in designated locations throughout the city. One of its main venues is Vallisaari, a long-inhabited island whose maritime, biodiverse landscape provides a unique setting for the artists to engage with. And as such, this year’s edition particularly draws inspiration from the island’s rich ecosystem.
“The concept of shelter serves as a reminder of our interdependence and eco-dependence in preserving the future”, curators Kati Kivinen and Blanca de la Torre note. “Shelter is not just a refuge, but a relationship in which boundaries between the living and the non-living blur, encouraging us to explore what coexistence with non-human creatures truly means, in all its nuances”.
Running from June 8 to September 21, 2025, the Biennial promotes an optimistic narrative of the future rooted in environmental awareness. Its goal is to create a positive, harmonious experience. As de la Torre explains, “Beyond managing the Biennial’s carbon footprint, we are considering other footprints, like emotional footprints, and thinking about sustainability in a holistic way”.
Sustainability shaped not only the content of the event but also the way it was produced. The curators prioritised reducing the Biennial’s environmental impact by selecting non-toxic materials and low-emission shipping methods, setting a positive example of ecological responsibility in practice. While the event’s venues include the green areas near the city centre, providing a place for reflection on our relationship with the natural world in direct proximity to it and creating an extraordinary, engaging setting for encounters with the contemporary art scene.
So, along the Vallisaari Island and the HAM Helsinki Art Museum, the event also takes place in Esplanade Park. The list of participants features 37 artists and collectives from across the globe, with a particular focus on the broader Nordic region, Latin America, and Asia. The lineup includes both emerging and renowned names, such as Yayoi Kusama, Olafur Eliasson, Ernesto Neto, Giuseppe Penone, and Otobong Nkanga. About half of the 57 exhibited works are being presented to the public for the first time.
Helsinki Biennial
June 8 – September 21, 2025
Helsinki, Finland
